"It was announced that three, two and one bonus seconds, would be given to the first three riders to cross a specific kilometre of the race, determined in advance. It will have an impact on the general classification, but not the points." [From wiki ]

Some sort of tribute?

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Has never ridden RAAM---------No.11 Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

"It was announced that three, two and one bonus seconds, would be given to the first three riders to cross a specific kilometre of the race, determined in advance. It will have an impact on the general classification, but not the points." [From wiki ]

Some sort of tribute?

An attempt to add something to liven up the hours of plodding along on the long flat stages? Not sure how or if it will work though, the sprinters aren't GC contendors. Non-GC contenders will continue to be allowed to go on long breakaways as the bonus seconds don't mean anything in the grand scheme of things. Breakaways from top GC contenders will just get nullified as currently happens. I can't see Sky (or any other GC contending team) organising a breakaway in order to guarantee a few extra seconds bonus for 3 riders.

We @ P@nd3m1c Pr0duckt10nzTM® sense an opportunity here, albeit 4 different reasons. Though Bethany (8 ) is already on record as saying that if W Barguil knacks himself out from riding the Giro there will be Trouble.

Edit: I'm going to have to modify my table-generating SCIENCE to cope with Bethany (8 )'s advancing years, because smileys.

There was me thinking I'd pop in to Racing to see if there was a place holder for '@ P@nd3m1c Pr0duckt10nzTM®' and stone me if there isn't nearly 2 pages of replies already...

i’m confused. I had assumed that [8] was reference to the age of Bethany, but she was that last year so it can’t be that. Is it reference to her position amongst her siblings perhaps? Please someone to be telling me what it’s all about

i’m confused. I had assumed that [8] was reference to the age of Bethany, but she was that last year so it can’t be that. Is it reference to her position amongst her siblings perhaps? Please someone to be telling me what it’s all about

Given how public feelings and behaviour get out of hand after libations of the firewater, the french government or at least the CRS could make a good case for excluding him from the country on safety and public order grounds - but Macron is too much of a wimp for that to happen.

Samuel D

Mere posturing for PR purposes. Prudhomme knows his ban will not stand. The Froome situation has only arisen because of UCI corruption/incompetence (their leak to Le Monde and The Guardian), without which Froome’s AAF would be confidential as the UCI’s rules require. Is he now to be punished by ASO for a breach of his own privacy? Imagine how that would sit with WADA, whose rules via the UCI Froome has followed to arrive at this mess.

Lappartient and Prudhomme are cowards who should be standing up for the rule of law rather than kowtowing to ignorant public opinion in France and elsewhere. But they are self-serving cynics and now it seems in cahoots into the bargain. It’s they who have harmed the reputation of cycling.

This latest move makes me wonder if Prudhomme knows Froome will be cleared of wrongdoing by the UCI earlier than expected, before the Tour starts.

Hinault's anger seems genuine. He's the one who has precipitated this stand-off. I think he's genuinely concerned for the dignity and romance of the tour. Underneath it all there's frustration at the boredom of yet another probable win by a rider who's face doesn't fit, and the robotic control of the race by a foreign team which outspends everybody. If Sky withdraws, a Frenchman might even win. To Hinault and ASO that's worth fighting for.